As the gurney glides down the hospital hallway, the fluorescent lights lining the ceiling are the only visual. In this moment, every ounce of independence that has been built is called in to question. Feelings of fear and loss of control become the leading actors in this scenario. Many individuals can relate to the reality of an emergency-room visit or hospital stay. We are required to put our health and wellbeing into the hands of others. We must depend on help for our most basic needs. It can be unsettling, but it can also be a wonderful opportunity to see God’s truth that we were NEVER meant to do life alone.

Michele Whetstone knows this story well because this has been her life for the past few weeks. November 23, 2015, marked the day she was forced to relent to the fact that her body was sick and she was entering a fight for her life. She credits her phenomenal healthcare providers with diagnosing her Bacterial Meningitis and helping to heal her body, but she also includes her loved ones and her Access Community Group members in her list of “lifesavers.”

Michele has been attending Access Church for three years.… Read the rest

For Ronda McPherson, the path to her volunteer role as a children’s small-group leader is a humorous one. It began with a Strategic Service sign-up card and an assumption that proved to be slightly off.

Ronda enjoys a fulfilling career in a successful company, but after attending Access for several months, she longed for a way to plug into serving at Access. Ronda got her chance during a sign-up event for Strategic Service opportunities. As she perused the options, one entitled “Leadership Room” stood out to her. Ronda was confident in her management skills and felt that something with “leadership” in the title would probably be a good fit. However, Ronda was unaware that this area of service pertained to children’s ministry. Ronda’s role would be to set up the Leadership Room before Waumba Land and check in children as they arrived.

Imagine Ronda’s surprise when she showed up for her first weekend and found out she had signed up for something she did not feel equipped to do.… Read the rest